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Your Guide To Ad Blockers

Few things are as disruptive to an online browsing sesh as online advertising. They distract from what you’re reading, they’re often strategically placed so you accidentally click on them (GRRR!), and sometimes they start blaring music when you’re trying to late-night surf next to a sleeping husband (there is nothing more destructive to marital bliss, […]

ad blocking

Few things are as disruptive to an online browsing sesh as online advertising. They distract from what you’re reading, they’re often strategically placed so you accidentally click on them (GRRR!), and sometimes they start blaring music when you’re trying to late-night surf next to a sleeping husband (there is nothing more destructive to marital bliss, I’ve decided).

And then there are those annoying “pop-ups,” and ads that remind you of the shoes you were eyeing last week… that are now following you around the web like two lost puppies— can something be simultaneously annoying, shaming, and intrusive? Yeah, that can. (Especially when it makes you buy the shoes days later…they got me.)

Let me just tell you none of us online publishers like banner ads or pop ups or any manner of internet advertising. Not the New York Times, and not me. But in the age of skipping commercials and getting millions of songs for free, very few people want to pay for media content. Online ads are the necessary evil that fund all that great content you’re reading. That pesky, pervasive banner ad that might distract you from The New Yorker article you’re ogling, but without it, it wouldn’t be there in the first place.

In June, Apple made an announcement that was music to a web reader’s ears— there would be ad tracker blocking built into Safari, the native iOS browser. So, not getting rid of ads, but getting rid of the tracking aspect, allowing an internet user to retain their browsing privacy (so those shoes I’m eyeing won’t be able follow me around). A genius move on Apple’s part, since Google would next feel the pressure to follow suit with their Chrome browser. Sticky for Google, since they’re in the business of selling advertising. But Google has confirmed that in 2018, their browser will block some ads, and even let you pay them to remove all ads. We live in crazy times.

Hopefully these moves by Big Browser will help clean up the internet and make browsing nicer (and more private) for everyone. And since ad blocker usage has  increased by 30 percent in 2016, I’m guessing many of you have either tried using ad blockers at some point, or want to. Until Safari and Chrome get their native ad blocking updates, here are a few I recommend.

For iPhone

AdBlock

One of the most downloaded Chrome and Safari extensions worldwide, AdBlock is a great basic option, allowing you to block tons of advertisements by subscribing to default lists provider by the developers; if you prefer deeper customization you can create custom filters. Like many of it’s competitors, it gives you the ability to whitelist your favorite sites whose ads you do want to see — either because you want to support the site or because the ads are actually useful to you.

Purify

Most ad blockers promise to make your phone faster, but Purify goes even further: It claims to double your web browsing speed and cut down the usage on your data plan by half. It has a simple, well-designed interface and users like it because of it’s easy-to-use white feature.

Norton Ad Blocker

You’ve likely used and trusted Norton AntiVirus to protect your desktop from malware prevention and removal and identity theft protection. Norton Ad Blocker is just as reliable. It blocks ads and online trackers and keeps your web browser history private.

For Android

Adblock Browser Plus

One of the most trusted ad blockers — it’s powered by Adblock Plus, which is one of the most popular ad blockers for computers — Adblock Browser Plus makes your browsing experience quick, clean and decluttered. Pages load faster, plus you’re protected from dangerous malware.

Adguard

This robust powerful ad blocker will work not only in your browsers, but also in games and apps. Additionally, Adguard offers protection from online tracking and phishing, which reduces your chances of being a victim of online fraud. And, as with many ad blockers, it improves web page loading time and saves your battery and data.

Because pop up ads are an essential source of revenue for websites providing free content, blocking them forces content providers to find other sources of funding — for example, subscription fees or an increase in native ads or branded content (content that is heavily influenced or sponsored by advertisers). Ad blockers may seem like a good short-term solution, but they may potentially have long-term implications that are just as inconvenient. In the meantime, I’d love to be free of those shoes stalking me, so I’m all for it.

What do you think? Would you install an ad blocker? Let me know in the comments.

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